Green and Brown Cut Crease Eyeshadow Tutorial!

Green is actually one of my favorite colors, but I normally shy away from colored eye shadow. I've been wanting to do a look with green eye shadow, so this morning I decided to mess around a little bit with some green and snap some photos during the process.

Green looks great paired with almost every color. It's a earthy color, so it looks great paired with warm autumn shades (brown, gold, burgundy, orange, etc.) and it also works well paired with bright, floral shades (pink, purple, blue, etc.) You all know that I love my neutral and warm shades - so my favorite pairing is brown and gold.

I actually don't own very many green eye shadows - in fact, I got rid of most of them a while ago because they started collecting dust in my drawers (well, not exactly, but you know what I mean.) I would've loved to use an olive green for this look - I've had MAC Sumptuous Olive on my "to buy at some point" list for ages, so I'm definitely going to add it to the top of my shopping list.

Anyways, enough babbling..

Products Used:
Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow (used in Step 1)
YSL Absinthe Green 4-Colour Harmony for the Eyes (used in Step 2)
MAC Retrospeck Eyeshadow (used in Step 3)
MAC Tempting Eyeshadow (used in Step 4)
MAC Brun Eyeshadow (used in Step 5 and 7)
Urban Decay Half Baked Eyeshadow (used in Step 8)
Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Brown Eyeliner (used in Step 9)
Elizabeth Arden Caramide Mascara (review soon!) (used in Step 10)
Ardell #116 False Lashes (used in Step 11)

Brushes Used:
Sponge Applicators (used in Step 1, 2 and 3)
Sigma E30 Pencil Brush (used in Step 4)
Small Generic Shader Brush (used in Step 5)
Sigma E65 Small Angle Synthetic Brush (used in Step 7 & 8)

*A non-shimmery base would've worked better for this tutorial - I used gold to warm up the green, but this base in particular made the otherwise smooth, pigmented green appear patchy.

*A thinner line with a matte, cream eyeliner would've worked better for this tutorial (I made it too thick, and it was pretty much irreversible!)

*When using tape, make sure to press the tape on the back of your hand a couple of times before applying it to your face. You don't want it to be very sticky, because you don't want the tape pulling your skin when you remove it.

MAC Supernova Mineralize Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

Mac Supernova Mineralize Blush 

MAC Supernova Mineralize Blush ($23.50) is a new, limited edition baked blush released in the Heavenly Creatures Collection that launched in stores yesterday (July 5th).

The "Mineralize" products by MAC are either hated or loved, and I love them. What I love specifically about the Mineralize Blushes, is that they are very soft and blend easier than standard, pressed powder blushes.

Typically, those who prefer matte finish cheek products steer clear of Mineralize cheek products because of the pearly (sometimes shimmery - but not glittery) finish.

Supernova is described on the MAC website as a magenta and burnished gold melange. That pretty much says it - it's a magenta base, intertwined with a swirl of gold-bronze. The magenta is quite cool, but when the swirl of gold and magenta is combined, it creates a slightly reddened pink tone to the magenta.

The blush itself is very pigmented, and because Supernova is a fairly deep shade, you have to apply it with a light hand, or you can quickly go overboard with it. A duo fibre brush (such as the E.L.F Stipple Brush or MAC 187/188 Brush) will work best for laying down the least color. If you're using a standard blush brush, you only need to tap the product once, and dust the brush on a tissue prior to application to ensure a light application.

MAC Chatterbox Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Chatterbox Lipstick

MAC Chatterbox Lipstick ($15) is described as a bright, red-pink with an amplified creme finish. It's definitely vibrant, but it's not in the neon category (ie: Vegas Volt, Morange, Viva Glam Nicki, etc.) It's a medium, rosy pink that is really easy to wear and adds a bit of color and brightness to the face.

This is a shade I've had on my wishlist for a while now, and recently decided to pick it up as my 'Back to MAC' trade-in.

MAC Chatterbox is extremely pigmented, creamy and applies smooth and even.

I love MAC Lipsticks in general, and I don't have a problem with any of their formulas. The amplified formula is definitely one of my favorites because of the bold, bright pigmentation, shine and the comfortable wear.

MAC Chatterbox on my lips

Step by Step Smokey Taupe Eyeshadow Tutorial!

Smokey Taupe Eyeshadow Tutorial

One of my favorite eyeshadows is MAC Satin Taupe. It's a really pretty frosty taupe (gray brown) that looks great with a variety of looks. It looks amazing paired with brown and burgundy - One of my favorite ways of wearing it is by applying a dark brown base to my lids and layering Satin Taupe over top, to intensify and slightly deepen the color, then apply a soft golden brown through the crease, and a reddened brown through the outer-v. The burgundy mixed with the taupe almost gives off a slightly mauve/plum tone that really brings out the green in my eyes. 

I'll be doing just that in this tutorial, but I'm making the look a bit more dramatic by adding black eyeshadow and liner. 

To make this look more daytime appropriate: The black shadow, liner and faux lashes are what really intensify this look, so for something a little lighter and more wearable during the day, skip step 7, 9, 10 and 12. You really don't have to line your eyes at all (I wear this look often during the day without liner), but if you'd really like to, you can opt for a dark brown liner for the top lash line.

Products Used:
Nars Smudeproof Eyeshadow Base (used in step 1)
MAC Constructivist Paint Pot (used in step 2 and 3)
MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow (used in step 4)
MAC Soba Eyeshadow (used in step 5)
MAC Handwritten Eyeshadow (used in step 6)
MAC Carbon Eyeshadow (used in step 7)
MAC Crystal Avalanche and Nylon Eyeshadows (used in step 8)
MAC Retrospeck Eyeshadow (used in step 8)
YSL Eyeliner Effect Deep Black Faux Cils Cream Liner (used in step 9)
Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara (used in step 11)
KKCenterHK False Lashes #ES A562 (used in step 12)
Lorac 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil (used to line my waterline afterward - for reference, I would not recommend this liner)

*Notable dupes for Satin Taupe: Wet n Wild Nutty Color Icon Single Eyeshadow ($1.99), NYX Iced Mocha Single Eyeshadow ($4.99), Covergirl Tapestry Taupe Eye Enhancers 1 Kit Eyeshadow ($4), E.L.F Moon Dust Custom Eyes Eyeshadow ($1). (Prices will vary based on location)

Brushes Used:
Generic Concealer Brush (used in step 2, 3 and 4)
ELF Studio Contour Brush (used in step 5)
MAC 219 Pencil Brush (used in step 6, 7 & 8; cleaned & used for the inner corner only. I used my fingertip for the brow bone highlight)
Coastal Scents Synthetic Fine Liner Brush (used in step 9)
Coastal Scents Small Detail Brush (used in step 10, to drag the liner upward and smudge)

Misc:
MAC Quite Natural Paint Pot was used to fill in my brows

MAC Paint Pots Overall Review with Swatches and Photos! (pic heavy)

MAC Paint Pot Overview

MAC Paint Pots ($17.50) are MAC's take on Cream Eyeshadows. They are versatile products because there can be several uses for them. You can wear them alone on the lids, as a liner, as a primer or as a base color for powder eyeshadow/pigments.

A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.

MAC Paint Pots are available in nine shades: Bare Study, Soft Ocher, Painterly, Rubenesque, Indianwood, Groundwork, Constructivist, Quite Natural and Blackground. I own all of them, except Blackground and Soft Ocher. (None of which I have posted reviews for in the past, so I thought it'd be a good idea to gather them up and review them together.)

MAC releases limited edition shades every now and then in some of their collections, but the actual permanent collection is quite small and lacks much color. All of the colors are fairly neutral. MAC did have many more colors in the past, but almost all of them became discontinued and they never filled the void with replacement/additional shades.

Continue reading for individual reviews and swatches

My Everyday MAC (Neutral/Warm) Eyeshadow Palette with Swatches!

Today I'm going to do a quick overview of what's in my My MAC "Everyday" eyeshadow palette. I recently popped the divider out of my MAC 15 Palette, so instead of casing fifteen shadows, it stores twenty-six eyeshadows. It doesn't look as neat, but it's so much more convenient for me to have everything I need in one palette. 

I use this palette almost every day as it contains everything I need to create a variety of looks. As you can tell, the palette only contains neutral and warm shades, because it's basically all I wear on daily basis. 

First Row: Crystal Avalanche, Nylon, Patina, Corduroy, Sorcery, Tempting, Bronze

Second Row: Brule, Era, Cork, Handwritten, Satin Taupe, Woodwinked

Third Row: Retrospeck, Ricepaper, Soba, Espresso, Brun, Amber Lights, Typographic

Fourth Row: Malt, Grand Entrance, Club, Electra, Black Tied, Carbon

Swatches from left to right: Grand Entrance, Crystal Avalanche, Nylon, Ricepaper, Retrospeck, Brule, Malt, Era, Patina, Soba, Cork, Espresso, Club, Corduroy, Handwritten, Sorcery, Brun, Electra, Satin Taupe, Tempting, Woodwinked, Bronze, Black Tied, Carbon and Typographic. (Oops! I forgot to include Amber Lights.)

MAC Nude on Board Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder Review, Swatches and Comparisons!

MAC Nude on Board Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder

MAC Hey, Sailor! Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder ($28) was released in MAC's latest Hey, Sailor! Collection. It's a new formula bronzer that claims to provide a sheer, natural coverage that is long-wearing and remains comfortable on the skin throughout the day. 

There are two shades to choose from: Nude on Board (Bronzy, yellow-tone) and Sun Dipped (Dirty, red-tone). 

Nude on Board is a light, golden-yellow tan with a hint of golden shimmer. I thought it'd be a better match for my skintone, as golden bronzers tend to work better on my skin without making my complexion look ruddy or muddy. 

In comparison to MAC's standard Bronzing Powder, the texture is much softer. The standard bronzing powders are a little dry, but these powders are very smooth and are easier to blend. The texture is comparable to MAC Beauty Powder. 

Swatches of Nude on Board

MAC Lovelorn Lipstick Review with Comparisons!

MAC Lovelorn Lipstick

MAC Lovelorn Lipstick ($15) is described on the MAC website as an emotive blue-pink. It's actually a medium toned sheer, natural pink with subtle cool tones. What's fab about this pink is that it's not overly cool, so it's a pink that both warm and cool skin tone gals could enjoy. Cool-toned pinks aren't normally flattering on my tan skin (they seem to better suit me when I'm lighter) and I often find them difficult to wear, but Lovelorn actually works out well for me.

If you're looking for a barbie pink, Lovelorn isn't it. I find it to be a more mature pink (no, not great grandma mature) - possibly Creme Cup's sophisticated older sister? It's very natural, and kind of gives my lips a "my lips but better" appearance with a couple swipes of the tube. (Check it out on Bloomin Beauty, it looks gorgeous on her!)

Lovelorn is a Lustre formula, which is one of my favorite lipstick formulas for a few reasons - The apply smoothly, don't accentuate dryness, feel great on, and although they are sheer, the color is very buildable for full coverage. Lastly, they have a shiny finish, so I never need a lip gloss layered on top. A simple wham-bam, and I'm done. The only downside is that the lasting power of the lustre formulas aren't the best. After a couple hours, I'm due for a reapplication.

MAC Lovelorn Lipstick on my lips

MAC Crew Highlight Powder Review, Photos & Swatches!

MAC Crew Highlight Powder

MAC Crew Highlight Powder ($29) is a highlighting powder/blush that is made of three shades - a soft peach, pale purple and soft, warm (yellow toned) pink. The light beige surrounding color is just an overspray that will erase with several uses. This product launched in MAC's latest Hey, Sailor! Collection and is only around for a limited time. 

I originally didn't find this powder too appealing - that is, until I swatched it in the MAC store. It might look a little ordinary in the compact, but once the colors unite together, a gorgeous, luminous warm pink with a soft, glowy sheen is created. 

After swatching several different blushes in my collection, the closest match I could find is Chanel Blush Horizon Soft Glow Blush (which also just so happens to be a limited edition product from this past Spring), nothing else I own came as close. Both products combine warm pink, peach and purple, and when mixed together, create a similar result. The color of Chanel is slightly darker, a touch more vibrant and contains more iridescence. I love the Chanel blush so much, so it's exciting to find a close dupe.

A few of my old never-fail products - and yep, they're all MAC.

I'm sure most of us makeup fanatics have a few products in our makeup stash that you can consider your "never fail" products. They are the often neglected, but never forgotten products that you know you can use, and they'll never let you down. You may not use them every day, but once you run out, you know you have to purchase another to replace it. Maybe it's a certain eyeliner or a particular blush. Maybe it's one item in each category. I'm sure I have a few more than I'm mentioning - but I wanted to dedicate a post to these few that stood out to me and always have a warm place in my heart: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, MAC Studio Finish Concealer and MAC Select Cover-Up.

It's a complete coincidence that they're all MAC products - and it's even a bigger coincidence that they are some of the first MAC products I ever tried.

I remember my first trip to MAC like it was yesterday. I was a senior in highschool and it was my first time ever buying non-drugstore makeup. I purchased (George purchased it, actually. We just started dating at the time!) Studio Fix Fluid in NC40, Blot Powder in Med-Dark, Select Cover-up in Peach, Paint in Bare Canvas and Eyeshadows in Gorgeous Gold, Moons Reflection and Aquadisiac. Aside from the shadows, I continue using all of those products till this day.

READ MORE!

A recent trip to the CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet)!

I took a recent trip to my "not so" local Cosmetic Company Outlet, as I've had to urge for several months to stop in and see if I can find any good, discounted cosmetics.

I was mostly hoping to get my hands on some MAC brushes, but the items that particular CCO had in stock were a little on the "sad" side.

I did manage to find some things, though!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 1W1 Bone - After wearing countless foundations that don't get me through a long day, I started to miss an old favorite - Estee Lauder Double Wear.

It's a foundation that I could always rely on that provides full coverage on those shy-of-perfect skin days, is transfer-resistant and long wearing. Love this stuff.

MAC #192 Cheek/Face Brush - A small, synthetic paddle shaped foundation-type brush with a tapered tip that was designed for use of face products, such as moisturizer and/or cream blush. This brush has been discontinued.

I was drawn to this brush immediately as I love using foundation brushes to apply my concealer as opposed to tiny concealer brushes. This brush looked like the perfect brush to apply my concealer. I haven't tested it out yet, but I'm pretty anxious to!

Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in #55 Pink Cloud -The only thing that stinks from buying makeup from a CCO (other than it being very old) is finding an awesome shade, and then later finding that it's a discontinued shade. Le sigh.

Pink Cloud has the potential of being my favorite pink lipstick, but it appears that our love will be short lived, as I'm sure I'll have trouble finding a back-up.

It's a creamy, light yellow-toned pink (which makes it appear slightly coral/flamingo pink in the tube). On the lips it's a little bit lighter, and more of a bubble-gum pink. It reminds me a little bit of one of my older favorite lipsticks by MAC called Colour Crafted (but much more wearable).

MAC Royal Azalea Sheen Supreme - A shade that would typically be very unlike me to purchase in the past. It's funny though how certain colors I couldn't wear when I was tan, are flattering on me now. And vise-versa. I wouldn't get near a blue-based pink in the past (being a tan MAC NC40), but now, chillin' in my au natural NC15 skin, MAC Snob doesn't look all that bad, and my HG MAC Shygirl doesn't look too HG status anymore.

Royal Azalea is a light, cotton candy pink with blue undertones. It's incredibly creamy with opaque coverage, and very comfortable on the lips.

MAC Kissable Lip Color in Enchantee - MAC Kissable Lip Color Lip Glosses were limited edition glosses that launched early last year in the MAC Peacocky Collection. They claimed to be a hybrid of a lipstick and gloss, giving you the coverage of a lipstick, with the finish of a gloss that is lightweight and will last for hours.

Enchantee is a cool toned light pink. It's very lightweight, non-sticky, provides good coverage and lasts longer on my lips than typical lip glosses. Bummer this was limited edition!

 MAC Enchantee, Bobbi Brown Pink Cloud and MAC Royal Azalea.

If you'd like to see individual reviews for any of these products, let me know!

Camera Chatter (recommendations?) and a couple new MAC eyeshadows added to my collection

Hey Everyone!

Happy April! I hope your week is going by smoothly - If you follow me on Twitter, a few days ago my camera spontaneously stopped working. It was a pretty decent camera, but I was having problems with it right after I purchased it. I'm almost positive it was a defective camera. Anyhow, it doesn't turn on now, so I'll be resorting to using my old camera (which seems ancient and is incredibly bulky) for the time being.

If anyone can recommend a good camera, I'm all ears. A DSLR isn't quite in my budget right now, so for the time being, I'll need a pretty good point-and-shoot camera. I've got my eyes on the Nikon Coolpix L120 or the slightly more expensive Nikon Coolpix P500. I like the fact that they have a great amount of zoom in comparison to other point-and-shoot cameras, which is great for product photos. If anyone has any experience with either model, I'd love to hear your opinion about them.

Onto makeup, shall we?

Alright, so, MAC Shadows. To de-pot or not to de-pot. That is the question. To be quite honest, it wasn't until recently I decided to depot all of my MAC eyeshadows. I always thought that maybe some day I'd regret de-potting them, so I always kept them in their little black pots. Well, keeping them in the pot is nifty and all, but I realized I wasn't getting much use out of any of my MAC shadows, and I was reaching for them less and less, and using my eyeshadow palettes more and more. Now I reach for my MAC palette almost every day and I've been getting much more use out of my shadows. It's only now that I see my shadows in palette-form that I feel like I'm missing quite a few essential colors - a couple being Woodwinked and Soba.

Have you gone the route of de-potting your MAC eyeshadows?

Yes!

No!

I can't decide. Maybe one day.

I'm sure some of you MAC fanatics won't believe I've never owned either of those colors, but it wasn't really until a year ago I started wearing eyeshadow every day. Yep! I've always been a foundation, blush, mascara and liner type of girl that only wore shadow on special occasions. Now I barely ever go without it!

 MAC Woodwinked and Soba

READ MORE!

MAC Lickable Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

 MAC Lickable Lipstick

MAC Lickable Lipstick ($15) is the newest pink that has been added to my collection. It's described on the MAC website as a bright, clean blue-pink. It's comparable to MAC's ever popular Girl About Town (described as a bright, blue fuschia), but it's a little less purple, so many reviews mention it's more wearable than Girl About Town. I thought it'd be similar to my recent fav - MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme, but Lickable is more blue-toned, and Insanely It has a stronger rosy-red tone.

Lickable is a Cremesheen, so the formula is creamy, with good color payoff. It's semi-opaque, but can be built with a few more swipes for full opacity.

My obsession with bright pinks aren't quite over yet. Despite looking bright and intimidating in the tube, bright pinks lighten up quite nicely when mixed with lesser-intense, muted pinks. I pretty much mix MAC Creme Cup and Wet n Wild Think Pink with everything, and it always creates a more wearable pink that is sill vibrant.

I really like it and I think I'll be wearing it often. It's a very wearable bright pink that's not too in-your-face.

Do you own MAC Lickable or any similar shades?

MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick

MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick ($16) is described on the MAC website as a watermelon pink. It's a pretty accurate description. It's a vivid, reddened-fuchsia pink with very fine hot pink/purple shimmer. The shimmer is so fine that you don't feel the grit on your lips. If you were a MAC fanatic in the Fafi days (2008), you might remember a gorgeous little lipglass called Totally It, this lipstick reminds me a lot of that color.

It seems like all I have been posting about lately is bright lipstick - but I swear, I think this is the last one for a while. Maybe.

Insanely It has been on my wishlist for a while now, and I actually like it a lot more than I thought I would.

You don't hear too much about the MAC Sheen Supreme line of lipsticks, and I'm not sure why, because they are amazing formulated lipsticks.

MAC Sheen Supremes are a hybrid between a lipgloss and lipstick. They have the pigment of a lipstick, are ultra-buttery upon application and have a finish of a lipgloss. I only owned one prior (Bare Again) and I have to say they are incredibly comfortable on the lips and they keep any dryness at bay.

Guest Post: Eye Look featuring MAC Star Violet Eyeshadow.

Guest Post Written by Ashley

Today the lovely Ashley of Beauty-Twist shares us a gorgeous eye look focusing on MAC Star Violet, a pinky-brown plum veluxe pearl eyeshadow that will compliment all eye colors.

MAC Star Violet Eyeshadow

I'm really loving purple toned eyeshadows at the moment and as I was swatching shades during my latest trip to MAC, I spotted Star Violet, a gorgeous pinky-brown plum with a veluxe pearl finish. This purple-burgundy shade blends like a dream and pairs beautifully with golds and browns. Star Violet is highly pigmented, extremely smooth and velvety, and has a slightly metallic sheen. I find that it performs best when blended into the crease and on the outer-v of the eye.

I only recently began wearing purple on my lids and wish I would have started doing so much sooner! Shades within the purple family are a great compliment for all eye colors and really make the eyes pop!

*Follow these steps for a gorgeous eye featuring Star Violet*

1. Using a flat eyeshadow brush, apply Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadow in Bad to The Bronze onto the lids. Blend the shadow upwards and stop at the eye's crease. Use an eyeliner brush and apply to the lower lash line.

2. Apply a gold shadow to the inner corners and first 1/3 of the eyelid. (I used Urban Decay's Half Baked but you may use any gold shadow that you have on hand.)

3. Next, apply Star Violet to the outer-v of the eye and blend into the crease. Be sure to buff out and harsh edges for a soft, smoky effect.

4. Finish of the look with liquid liner and 2 coats of mascara.

MAC Viva Glam Nicki Minaj Lipstick Review with Photos & Comparisons!

MAC Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick

When I got word that Nicki Minaj was coming out with another lipstick for MAC, I was really excited because I knew it was going to be something really bold and bright.

Ricky Martin teamed up with Nicki as well - which I thought was a pretty random collaboration from the get-go. Ricky, where have you been these past ten years?!

Anyways, when I saw the first swatches of Viva Glam Nicki early this month, I became incredibly excited and couldn't wait for it to launch. I added my name to the waiting list, and to my satisfaction, I was able to purchase Viva Glam Nicki online a day early.

(Image Credit)

Viva Glam Nicki is a bright yellow-toned pink. Finally a bright pink that isn't blue-toned, for us warm skinned ladies to wear without looking crazy!

MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblend Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblend Blush

MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblend Blush ($20) is a re-promote in MAC's newest Cook M.A.C Collection (online now, and hits stores on the 9th in North America) from their previous Lillyland 2010 Collection. 

Optimistic Orange is a vibrant tangerine orange. It's actually a fairly cool toned orange, that lacks a strong yellow tone. On the cheeks it has a reddish-pink tint to it, so it looks more like a coral-orange, rather than just plain orange. When worn in a sheer layer, it's a lovely peach shade. 

A little goes a very long way with this blush, as it's very pigmented. My favorite way of applying this blush is with a duo-fiber brush, such as the MAC #131. I lightly dip the tips of the bristles in the product, then lightly dab the brush on a piece of paper (or the back of my hand) and then lightly dab it on my cheeks, and blend in  small circular motions. The reason I dab it off before applying it directly to my cheeks is to prevent applying too much color at once. If I've applied too much, I'll go back over the area with a kabuki brush and a little finishing powder to lighten it up.

The Natural Pink Blushes in my Current Rotation!

Aside from foundation, blush is my most favored item of makeup. Blush instantly adds liveliness to the face, while sculpting the cheeks. I love all shades of blush, from peach, orange, pink and red. In the summer time, you can bet I'm sporting bronzer and warm-toned red and coral blushes, but in the winter, I usually wear colors that are much more natural.

For the past couple of months I've for the most part skipped out on self tanning and bronzer, and gone the natural-pink route for my cheeks. I've found myself picking up the same shades over and over again (thus calling it a rotation).

CONTINUE READING FOR MY PICKS + ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & SWATCHES!

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick Review!

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick ($15) is described on the MAC website as a light, blue pink. It's a Cremesheen formula, which is one of my favorite formulas despite the fact that the formula is very soft, and prone to melting in warm temperatures or slanting if too much pressure is applied during application.

Even though Creme Cup is blue-based, the blue undertones don't seem to be very strong. I find blue-based pinks incredibly difficult to wear on my skintone, but Creme Cup is my perfect, bubblegum pink. It's fairly similar to MAC Hue on my lips, but the color is a bit brighter and more opaque.

With one swipe, it provides a nice wash of light pink to the lips that isn't too pale, and with additional swipes, the color can be built to full coverage.

MAC Creme Cup on my lips

NOTD: MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer - Love this Taupe!

Two (2) Coats of MAC Earthly Harmony and One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer

MAC Earthly Harmony was launched with MAC's 2010 Fall "Nail Trend Collection". I just got this awesome polish earlier this week through a swap, and I think it's probably going to become one of my favorite nail polishes that I'll wear frequently. Too bad it's a LE shade that I doubt will be re-promoted. But, who knows.

Earthly Harmony is a neutral taupe-gray with incredibly subtle copper shimmer. I read through a bunch of reviews before I picked up this shade, and many of the reviewers were a little disappointed that the shade in the bottle differs from when it's actually on your nails. As you can see in the above photo, in the bottle the color appears lighter, with an almost greenish/yellow tone and a pretty copper shimmer. Very unique. But, once applied to the nails, the color is a little deeper with no shimmer. Even in bright sunlight, the shimmer is barely noticeable. Bummer.

I love the formula of this shade. I'm not too familiar with MAC polishes, as this is only my second one (my first being "Hangin' Loose") so I'm not sure if the creme finish polishes really differ from shade to shade, but I think the consistency is very ideal. It's not too thick or thin, spreads evenly and is opaque with two coats. I really don't mind having to paint three coats, but it's always a huge plus when a polish only needs two. 

The price is way expensive ($15 for 10ml/0.34 oz) so it's always nice to get the chance to try a MAC nail polish through swaps, blog sales or your local Cosmetic Company Outlet (CCO).

What's your favorite taupe polish? I love OPI Over the Taupe as well.